Inspection guide

Factory acceptance test (FAT) checklist for valve and pump makers

What to have ready before the customer arrives to witness a factory acceptance test: documents, instruments, open issues, notice and the test itself.

By Ademola Afolabi, Founder, New Odyssey Ltd · Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

The short answer

A factory acceptance test (FAT) is ready when the approved procedure, drawings and datasheets are at the current revision, every instrument is in calibration on the test date, open NCRs affecting the test are closed, and the customer has had the notice the ITP requires. Most failed FAT days are documentation gaps, not hardware.

Key Takeaways

The FAT checks the equipment against the order before it leaves your works, usually with the customer watching.
The approved FAT procedure and the ITP set what is tested, to what criteria, and how much notice the customer gets.
Check calibration dates against the test date, not today's date.
Close or disposition every NCR that touches the test before the witness arrives.

What a factory acceptance test is

A factory acceptance test is a set of tests at the manufacturer's works that shows the equipment meets the purchase order before it ships. The customer, its inspector or a third-party inspector often witnesses it. For valves this is usually the pressure tests and functional checks; for pumps it often includes a performance test and, where ordered, vibration, noise or mechanical run tests. The order's own procedure decides what is in scope.

The FAT is normally a witness or hold point in the inspection and test plan (ITP). After it, the customer may sign an inspection release that lets you ship. A site acceptance test (SAT) comes later, after installation.

Documents checklist

FAT procedure approved by the customer, at the current revision, with the acceptance criteria stated.
Approved drawings and datasheets at the revision the procedure refers to.
The ITP, with every earlier hold point signed off.
Material certificates and NDE reports for the parts under test, checked and filed.
Calibration certificates for every gauge, transducer and recorder you will use.
Test record sheets ready to fill in, with tag and serial numbers already entered.
Agreed deviations and concessions that change what is tested or how.

Instruments and calibration

Inspectors check that each instrument on the test record was in calibration on the day of the test, has a range suited to the test, and traces to a national standard. An expired gauge can void the result and force a repeat. List each instrument by its ID, check its certificate expiry against the planned date, and have a spare ready. See calibration certificates for test reports.

Open issues: NCRs and punch list

Go through the NCR register and the punch list. Any nonconformance on a part under test should be closed or have a disposition the customer has agreed before the FAT. Other open items should be listed, so the witness sees them on paper first. A surprise during the test costs more time than a known item on a list.

Notice and witness arrangements

The ITP or purchase order sets how much notice the customer needs for a witness point. Send the notice in writing, with the date, the tests, the procedure revision and the location. Confirm who is coming, including any third-party inspector, and whether they need site safety induction. If the date moves, send a new notice.

On the day

Hold a short start meeting: scope, procedure revision, safety and the order of tests.
Show the inspector the instrument list and calibration certificates before testing starts.
Record the actual values, not just pass or fail, on the agreed sheets.
Log any failure or deviation as it happens, with what was done next.
Get the records signed before the inspector leaves, and agree any open items in writing.

Valve and pump specifics

For valves, the test standard is usually named in the order, such as API 598 or the tests in API 6D. Check which one governs, the test media and the durations in the approved procedure. See API valve standards. For centrifugal pumps to API 610, the datasheet says which tests are witnessed or observed. See API 610 pump datasheet review. Do not rely on generic test values; use the order's procedure.

Doing it with OdysseyGPT

The FAT Readiness Check (beta) reads the FAT procedure with the drawings, datasheets, ITP, calibration evidence, NCR register and punch list. It gives a readiness verdict and keeps hard blockers apart from review items, each with a citation. The Calibration Validity Check (beta) checks each instrument against its certificate on the test date. Your test and quality team decides whether to go ahead.

These tools are in beta

The FAT Readiness Check and Calibration Validity Check are in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves. Every finding cites the page, sheet or cell it came from, and your engineers decide what to do with it.

Buyer questions

6 questions bid engineers, proposal engineers and buyers ask. Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

What is a factory acceptance test (FAT)?

A factory acceptance test is a set of tests at the manufacturer's works that shows the equipment meets the purchase order before it ships. The customer or its inspector usually witnesses it. What is tested, the acceptance criteria and the notice period come from the approved FAT procedure and the inspection and test plan (ITP) for the order.

How do I prepare for a factory acceptance test?

Get the FAT procedure approved at the current revision. Check drawings and datasheets match it. Sign off every earlier hold point in the ITP. Check each instrument is in calibration on the test date. Close or disposition NCRs on the parts under test. Send the customer written notice in the time the ITP sets, and confirm who will attend.

Why do factory acceptance tests fail or get postponed?

Usually for paperwork, not hardware. Common causes are a procedure not yet approved or at the wrong revision, a gauge out of calibration, an open NCR on a tested part, an unsigned earlier hold point, or too little notice to the witness. Each one can stop the test or void the result, so check them before the visit.

How much notice does the customer need for a FAT?

The inspection and test plan or the purchase order sets it, and it varies by customer and by how far the inspector travels. Send the notice in writing with the date, the tests, the procedure revision and the location. If the date moves, issue a new notice, because a witness who travels for a cancelled test is a cost someone will pay.

What records come out of a FAT?

Signed test records with the actual values measured, the instrument list with calibration references, any deviation or failure log, and often an inspection release note from the customer. These records go into the test section of the manufacturing record book and are checked again at handover.

Is there software that checks FAT readiness?

Field inspection apps capture checklists and sign-offs during a test. OdysseyGPT's FAT Readiness Check (beta) does a different job before the test: it reads the procedure, drawings, datasheets, ITP, calibration evidence, NCR register and punch list, and gives a cited readiness verdict with hard blockers kept apart from review items.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a FAT and a SAT?

A factory acceptance test is done at the manufacturer's works before shipment. A site acceptance test is done after installation at the customer's site, often as part of commissioning. Both are set by the order.

Who pays if a FAT has to be repeated?

The purchase order usually says. Many orders make the supplier pay the customer's costs for a repeat witness visit caused by the supplier. Read the inspection and terms clauses before you set the date.

References

Inspection and test plan (ITP) guide

OdysseyGPT

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